Peer Mediation Program

Year 5 Peer Mediation

Peer Mediation is a Year 5 leadership initiative which provides opportunity for students to learn and put into action empathy-based skills in resolving minor social conflicts in the yard. All Year 5 students receive training in Term 1 to become Peer Mediators. Following their training, students are rostered in pairs or groups of three and complete their shifts during recess or half of lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of every term.

The role of Peer Mediators is to resolve minor conflicts with students from Prep to Year 2 that may occur in the playground. Although the Peer Mediator's role is to help the younger students resolve their conflicts, the Year 5 students are explicitly taught that there are times and situations where adults such as the Yard Duty teacher or the Year 5 teachers will need to step in. 

During Year 5 Peer Mediation training students are encouraged to: 

• Demonstrate listening skills
• Show empathy
• Use their communication skills
• Brainstorm solutions to problems and guide younger students to resolve minor social conflicts in the yard.
• Make connections and meaningful relationships with younger students in the school.
• Teach basic social skills and strategies to younger students that they can then use to help manage difficult situations
• Assist younger students in emotional regulation skills and provide basic strategies and suggestions to assist with this

During Peer Mediation training, students engage in hands-on activities and practise new skills through role plays of scenarios that they might come across in the yard. During training, students are taught the following steps of Peer Mediation to be carried out when they are on duty out in the yard.

Steps of Peer Mediation

Step 1 - Introduce themselves

Steo 2 - Listen to the students problem

Step 3 - Help the students brainstorm solutions 

Step 4 - Help the students resolve their problem and agree on an outcome

Step 5 - Praise the students for resolving their problem

Step 5 - Record the solution in the peer mediation folder so that classroom teachers can track play and problems in the yard.

Look out for the yellow vests on the junior playground!